1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a game system. More specifically it relates to a game system in which a plurality of participants transmit to at least one central play station, through a telecommunications network, participant game data for taking part in at least one game, the central play station carrying out games according to predefined game rules and transmitting central game data to said participants.
2. Description of Related Art
In the known game systems, participants transmit their participant game data to a central play station in that they fill in lottery tickets or other betting slips, and these are received by corresponding, decentralized receiving points and are transmitted to a central play station through a communications network. The lottery numbers or the results of other bets are determined at such central play stations and are made public through various media, for example through television or newspapers. By showing a lottery ticket with winning numbers, or respectively a betting slip with the correct results, a participant can have paid out to him a winning sum, in relation to the amount wagered, by a receiving point or a central play station.
Other game systems are known from the Internet in which a participant transmits to a central play station participant game data through the Internet by means of a program on his personal computer, which central game station can carry out well-known casino games, such as blackjack or poker, and transmit corresponding central game data through the Internet to the program on the PC, which displays these data to the participant on the screen. To play for money, the participant has to have set up a game account at the central play station, to which wagered amounts and winning sums can be debited or credited.
Described in the patent application WO 97/28636 are a methods and corresponding means which make it possible for a player with a push button telephone, for example a mobile radio telephone, to take part in a gambling procedure via a telecommunications network. After entry of a PIN number (Personal Identification Number) and a bank account number, the participant according to WO 97/28636, can select a desired game, and enter betting numbers corresponding to the game, a confirmation of the keys pressed takes place acoustically over the telephone and/or optically on a selected teletext page. In the method according to WO 97/28636, playing fees and playing winnings can be booked, for example, to an indicated bank account.
Described in the patent application DE 195 02 613 A1 is a playing system in which a plurality of playing devices, in particular also mobile radio telephones, are connectable to a central computer via a remote data transmission. According to DE 195 02 613, allocated to the central computer is a random generator which determines winning symbol combination which are displayed on the playing devices. To take part in a game, the playing devices, according to DE 195 02 613 A1, comprise a coupling device with a special registration number, for example a card reader for receiving a personal identification card with a PIN number stored thereon, it being possible for the registration number to form the winning number at the same time; for example the end digits of the PIN number stored on the identification card can be used to determine a possible winning. According to DE 195 02 613, on-line playing fees and playing winnings can also be booked via a card reader, if a value card is inserted into the card reader.
It is the object of this invention to propose a new game system in which in particular interested participants are independent of special receiving points, and are not bound to a place that has personal computers linked to the Internet.
According to the present invention these objects are attained in particular through the elements of the characterizing part of the independent claims. Further preferred embodiments follow moreover from the dependent claims and from the description.
In particular these objects are attained through the invention in that the game data exchanged between the participants and the central play station is transmitted in special short messages by a plurality of mobile radio devices through the mobile radio network to the central play station, or respectively from the central play station through the mobile radio network to the mobile radio devices of the participants.
According to the invention, the central play station comprises a server and means of receiving participant game data from registered participants in special short messages from a plurality of mobile radio devices through a mobile radio network, means to determine central game data according to predefined game rules, and means to transmit the determined central game data in special short messages through the mobile radio network to the mobile radio devices of the participants.
According to the invention, the mobile radio devices of the participates have a SIM card, which contains means according to the invention to display to the participant playing instructions and game results on a display unit of the mobile radio device, to receive participant game data, entered through input means of the mobile radio device, and to transmit said data to the central play station by means of special short messages.
The SIM card preferably has, moreover, means to store a prepaid amount, which can be used to pay for wagers, and also to book winnings. Such a SIM card has the advantage that a participant can be provided thereby in an efficient way with personal and customer-specific means to take part in games. Moreover through the SIM card the participant can be identified by the central play station, for example by means of a unique participant tag, an IMSI (international mobile subscriber identifier) stored on the SIM card.
According to the present invention, the central play station also comprises means to book wagered amounts transmitted by participants in participant game data to game accounts of the participants, which are preferably stored in a database accessible to the central play station, and means to determine winning quotas of played games, to distribute winning sums, and to book them to the corresponding game accounts.
The participants are preferably identified and their identity authenticated by the central play station. It can be ensured thereby that wagered amounts or winning sums, are debited, or respectively credited, to the correct participant.
In the present invention, to ensure the authenticity of game data and above all also the authenticity of identity of the respective participant, the game data exchanged through the mobile radio network between the mobile radio devices and the central play station are preferably transmitted with the aid of security services, such as, for example, TTP (trusted third party) or a corresponding encryption method.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described in the following using an example. The example embodiment is illustrated by the following attached figure: